Acne? Sure, itís not life-threatening. However, for some, acne
might be life-altering. Weíve all had acne. None of us want
it. Acne is mild for some, harsh for others. Some people
experience acne in adolescence and for some, it continues into their adult
life. But what is Acne?

Acne occurs in many
forms. Most popularly, acne refers to clogged pores turning into
whiteheads and blackheads. Acne is the ever dreaded pimple. Acne
can even be the deeper lumps that appear as nodules or cysts. All of
these can lead to scarring if not treated correctly. Acne can occur
anywhere. Although most prominent on the face, it can also show up on
the neck, shoulders, chest, back, and arms.

There are many different
types of acne. The most common, of course, is Acne Vulgaris. The
common offender to most of these acne types is: BACTERIA!

ACNE TYPES AND DEFINITIONS:Many different words describe an acne problem. Therefore, itís
important to note and understand what each word means. We will start
with the most general and get more specific.

Lesion-
An infected or diseased patch of skin (can accompany acne, skin cancer, a
knife cut, etc.) When we read about lesions, we recognize that it
has to do with an infected sebaceous gland. Some lesions are more
severe than others.

Comedo
(plural Comedones)- when a sebaceous follicle is plugged with
dirt, other cells, tiny hairs, or bacteria. There are two types of
comedones. Blackheads are open comedones because the
surface appears black. Closed comedones appear as a slightly
inflamed, skin colored bump and are called Whiteheads.

Macule-
a temporary red spot left from a healed lesion. They are generally
light red or pink and they can last from anywhere between a day to a few
weeks.

Pustule-
Something likened to an inflamed, pus-filled lesion: a small
inflamed elevation of the skin that is filled with pus; a pimple.

Papule-
A small, solid, usually inflammatory elevation of the skin that does not
contain pus.

Nodule-
Like a papule in that it is white and dome-shaped. Characterized by
inflammation. Nodular acne is very severe and doesnít respond well
to many forms of therapy.

Cyst-an embedded nodule of bacteria that
is well below the skin and with rapid growth of skin over it which entraps
the bacterial pus pocket. Unlike a large acne pimples which come to the
surface within couple of days or 4 to 5 days, the cyst may take a couple of
weeks or several weeks or even months to surface allowing the bacterial pocket
to empty.

Some of the more common
types of acne include:

Acne vulgaris
is the most common form of acne. It includes several types of lesion.
Individual acne lesions usually last less than two weeks but the deeper
papules and nodules may persist for months. It is a condition that mainly
affects adolescents but may persist or even become more severe in
adulthood. Most, but not all, acne patients have oily skin (seborrhoea).
Acne vulgaris may occur on the face, chest, back and sometimes even more
extensively. Several types of acne spots occur, often at the same time.

Acne
in Pregnancy:
During pregnancy, acne can both clear and get worse. In early
pregnancy, acne often gets a bit worse but as pregnancy progresses, acne
can often improve, possibly because of increased levels of estrogen.

Severe
Forms of Acneare rare, but they are a great hardship to the people who
experience them, and can be disfiguring--and, like all forms of acne, can
have psychological effects on the sufferer.

Acne
conglobata: the most severe form of
acne vulgaris and is more common in males. It is a form of
nodulocystic acne in which there are interconnecting abscesses and
sinuses, which result in unsightly hypertrophic (thick) and atrophic
(thin) scars. There are groups of large "macrocomedones" and
cysts that are filled with smelly pus. It can cause severe, irrevocable
damage to the skin, and disfiguring scarring. It is found on the face,
chest, back, buttocks, upper arms, and thighs. The age of onset for acne
conglobata is usually between 18 and 30 years, and the condition can stay
active for many years.

Acne
fulminans:an abrupt onset of acne conglobata which normally afflicts young
men. Symptoms of severe nodulocystic, often ulcerating acne are apparent.
As with acne conglobata, extreme, disfiguring scarring is common. Acne
fulminans is unique in that it also includes a fever and aching of the
joints.

Pyoderma
faciale: This type affects
only females, usually between the ages of 20 to 40 years old, and is
characterized by painful large nodules, pustules and sores which may leave
scarring. It begins abruptly, and may occur on the skin of a woman who has
never had acne before. It is confined to the face, and usually does not
last longer than one year, but can wreak havoc in a very short time.

Gram-negative
folliculitis:a bacterial infection characterized by pustules and cysts, possibly
occurring as a complication resulting from a long term antibiotic
treatment of acne vulgaris. It is a rare condition, and we do not know if
it is more common in males or females at this time.

Nodulocystic
acne: a severe form of
acne affecting the face, chest and back. Nodulocystic acne is
charactered by multiple inflamed and uninflamed nodules and frequently,
scars. It is more common in males.

OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Rosacea is sometimes called "acne rosacea" because it
often occurs with acne. When rosacea is present, small, red, solid bumps (called papules) and
pus-filled pimples (called pustules) may appear on the skin. These can easily be confused with
acne pimples, but unlike acne, rosacea papules and pustules have no blackheads. Rosacea is
sometimes called "adult acne," and it can be caused by harsh or aggressive acne treatments.